


It's All About Us

by AlexinBrum



Category: EastEnders (TV)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-12
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-18 11:14:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 3,469
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29367612
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlexinBrum/pseuds/AlexinBrum
Summary: Ben and Callum go on a little trip, to a place that is uniquely them.
Relationships: Callum "Halfway" Highway/Ben Mitchell
Comments: 20
Kudos: 44





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story comes with a little challenge - can you work out where Ben and Callum are holidaying? Don't spoiler it in the comments if you think you know the answer - all will be revealed in the final chapter, at which point you are absolutely encouraged to crow about how early you worked it out. :)

"This is nuts," says Ben, as he clicks the seatbelt into place.

Callum just grins, ridiculously pleased with himself. Ben can't help but chuckle at the whole ludicrous situation. He reaches across the back seat and tangles his fingers with Callum's. 

"You're suck a dork."

"Nah, I'm a romantic. And it was Lexi's idea."

"You still went along with it."

"So did you."

The driver gets in and Callum hands him a piece of paper.

"This is the address, mate."

The old man reads it intently without expression, then hands the paper back to Callum as the engine rumbles to life.

Callum pulls out his phone and takes a selfie of the two of them in the back seat, the tiny harbour disappearing into the distance behind them.

"You gonna document every second?"

"Yup."

This might be the weirdest thing Ben's ever done, but the sun is shining, the sky is blue and Callum's eyes are sparkling with happiness. He wouldn't want to be anywhere else.


	2. Chapter 2

The house they've rented is compact, clean and modern. The owner even left a vase full of fresh flowers and a bottle of wine on the dining table. 

After finding their way around, logging into the wifi and kicking off their shoes, they end up in the bedroom, with its steeply pitched ceiling, wooden floors and crisp white sheets. 

Ben throws himself backwards onto the bed, limbs spread. 

"Nice," he said, "Firm, but not too firm." Then with a wink, "Plenty of bounce."

"There's even a sink in here, that's handy."

"Stop admiring the fixtures and fittings and get yourself over here."

Callum throws himself on top of Ben, their giggles soon becoming sloppy kisses.

Things start heating up, but then Callum pulls away.

"Oi, where you going?"

"Let's just slow down a bit, yeah?"

Ben is genuinely mystified. 

"Why?"

"Cos, we got all night, ain't we?"

"Exactly. And for once we have a whole house completely to ourselves. Let's make some noise."

But Callum's already perched on the end of the bed, rifling through his case.

"I thought we could watch a movie."

"A movie. Seriously?"

"I downloaded this one specially."

"Oh, a _movie_ \- now you're talking."

"It was filmed round here about ten years ago. They do set tours, thought we could go tomorrow, but we should watch the film first. There's this girl, and this horse..."

"That does NOT sound like the kind of film I was hoping for."

Callum rolls his eyes, continues regardless. 

"It's in Dutch, so there's subtitles. It's meant to be good."

Callum sees Ben's skepticism.

"And the bloke in it's pretty fit."

Ben looks at Callum's eager, excited face and he can't do it. He can't say no.

"Go on then." 

And there's that sunshine grin back again. It warms Ben to the core. 

"But while you set that up, I'm getting the booze."


	3. Chapter 3

As the credits roll, Ben wonders how he got here. 

He's warm where he's snuggled into Callum, and glowing inside from the alcohol. Snug and safe inside their cosy attic room, hundreds of miles from home, he feels like a different person. The person he might have been, if all that life stuff hadn't messed him up. 

He looks up at Callum's infuriatingly adorable face.

"So, not only is this place about you and me, but the film they made here's all about us too."

"How do you mean?"

"Wild beast, lashes out at anyone who gets close, the right person comes along and tames him."

Callum closes the laptop and moves it off the bed. 

When he turns to look at Ben there's heat in his eyes.

"You ain't tame."

"Cal, you've got me drinking wine and watching films that ain't even in English."

But Callum's in no mood for banter. He tears off his tshirt, then Ben's, and dives in for a searing kiss. 

It's just the two of them.


	4. Chapter 4

The next day, Ben's appalled to find himself up and dressed before nine, at the mercy of Callum's pathological need to stick to his planned itinerary.

"I promise you'll like it," says Callum, carefully rolling up a beach towel and squeezing it into his backpack.

"I severely doubt it," says Ben, throwing the sun cream angrily into his.

Callum should be getting narked. Ben's being unreasonably petulant and he knows it. 

In his defence, he didn't get much sleep (entirely Callum's fault for being so damn irresistible) and he'd hoped to catch up with a lie-in. Instead he's been shoved out of bed at some ungodly hour to visit a museum. A museum! 

So if he is being a little less than enthusiastic, well, Callum's just going to have to deal.

Except Callum's not just dealing, he's smirking. 

He's got a mischievous twinkle in his eye. He knows something that he's not letting on, and that's winding Ben up even more.

"Don't forget your shades."

"Thought I'd come on holiday with my fiancé, not my mother," Ben grumbles.

Callum laughs. He actually laughs!

Ben briefly marvels at how it's possible to love someone so fiercely while also wanting to punch them in the face.

But he resists the urge. 

Instead, he aggressively zips up his bag and stomps out of the room. Callum trots behind, chuckling.

It takes less than an hour for Ben to transform from grumpy old man to excited toddler.

"This is amazing, babe!" he grins as he walks around the antique car, wide eyed. "Do you think they'd let me take a look under the bonnet if I asked? I am a professional."

He drags his gaze away from the car to Callum's face, and the look of pure adoration he finds there almost knocks him off his feet.

"I'll go ask. The bloke seemed chatty enough." 

Callum scampers off as Ben turns back to the car. 

He contemplates the wonky mannequin in Victorian dress perched behind the steering wheel.

"You keep your eyes to yourself, mate. You can have the car, but that man is all mine."


	5. Chapter 5

They eat lunch at the beach pavilion, a low wooden hut snuggled among the gentle dunes and marram grass, a short walk through the village from the museum.

Ben had panicked a bit on opening the menu, which was entirely in Dutch, but once Callum pointed out that half the words were the same in English, and that the staff also spoke English, he relaxed.

"Wanna try?" 

Ben holds his burger out, Callum leaning over to take a bite.

"Mmmm, good!"

"I don't know if it actually tastes better than the ones back home, or if it just feels like it because we're here, y'know."

"We're not usually having it with Prosecco back on the Square."

"True. How are your chicken thingies?"

"Here." 

Callum stabs one of his croquettes with his fork and holds it out for Ben to take a bite.

"Nice."

"The salad's really good too."

"I'll take your word for it."

As Callum finishes off his meal, Ben looks out at the rolling waves and looping seagulls. Their shrieks, and the crashing of the water, fill the silence.

Callum eventually pushes away his empty plate, leans back in his chair, and watches Ben watching the sea.

"What you thinking about?"

"It's lovely here."

"Yeah."

"And I know it's... us. But it's not really us, is it? Here everything is clean, simple, peaceful. And us, the real us, we're more dirty and messy and complicated. Like London. And I was just wondering... I dunno, it's daft."

"Go on."

"Where I grew up, in South Africa, I can't remember much, but the sea, the sunshine, the big skies - this place makes me think of it. Just makes me wonder, maybe it's the place. Maybe if I'd grown up here, or there, instead of London, my head would be more like this, not all dirty alleyways and broken bottles."

Callum reaches over, squeezes Ben's hand. He's planned this amazing trip and now Ben's ruining it by getting all maudlin. He tries to shake it off.

"I'm sorry. Bubbles going to my head. This is meant to be a holiday."

But Callum's still not letting go.

"That's the whole point though, innit? At home, specially in the middle of a big city, with work and family and stuff going on, it's hard to think. Having a holiday's about getting away from all that, having a bit of space to get your head straight."

Ben squeezes back. God he loves this man.

"Ben, some really shitty stuff happened to you. Course you're a bit broken. But we all are. You think kids growing up here don't have problems too?"

"Not like back home though. Gangs and drugs and muggings and..." 

The word 'Paul' hangs in the air, unsaid.

"I just worry about Lexi, what it could do to her."

"Lexi's fine. You're just thinking about the bad stuff. There's loads of good stuff about growing up in London too. Opportunities, choices, people to meet and fall in love with."

Callum grins. Ben can't help it, he does too, the clouds of worry floating away.

"I had a mate in the army, grew up in this tiny village, always moaning at how crap it was. He only joined up 'cos there was nothing to do back home. And Lexi's got her family right there - all that love and support. You and Lola and me and Jay - we're all gonna make sure none of that bad stuff gets anywhere near her."

"Yes sir, Officer Highway."

"Exactly. No bad guys are gonna dare mess with my daughter."

Ben's heart explodes with such a rush of love he's surprised it doesn't shatter the windows. When his brain reassembles itself, he realises Callum's carried on talking.

"Sorry, what?"

"Fancy a pudding? Those cakes look amazing."

"I'm good babe, but you have whatever you want."

Callum eyes the menu, then the cake cabinet, forehead furrowed in serious contemplation.

"OK, how about we get a couple to go. Then we can have 'em later, with our feet in the water."

"Sounds perfect."

It is. He is. This is. They are.


	6. Chapter 6

The film set is a bit of a trek back through the village, so Callum insists they hire bicycles, apparently an essential part of "the Netherlands experience". 

They're both a bit wobbly at first, with a couple of swerving near misses, but muscle memory soon kicks in. 

"Race ya!" Ben calls out, as he speeds ahead.

"You don't even know where we're going," yells Callum, pumping harder at the pedals, quickly catching up.

At the roundabout on the outskirts of the village Ben pulls up and waits for Callum.

"Which way?"

But Callum doesn't stop. 

"Eat my dust, Mitchell!" he yells with a grin, as he sails round the island and takes a right hand turn.

Five minutes later, sweaty, laughing and out of breath, they dismount at the stables. 

"I totally beat you."

"You cheated."

"You made it a race."

"It ain't fair - your legs are longer."

"Shoulda thought of that then. You wanna wait for a tour, or just go round ourselves?"

Ben wraps his arms around Callum's waist, plants a sloppy kiss on his lips.

"I always want you all to myself."

Ben's amazed that even after all this time he can still make Callum blush.

The film set is mildly interesting. They read all the information boards, take a selfie with the horse, buy a couple of souvenirs, but it's not like it's one of their favourite films, and they're done in a couple of hours.

"What's next then, Mr Tour Guide?" Ben asks, as they get back on their bikes.

"Well, we're not booked in for dinner until 7pm, so I was thinking we could go back to the beach. Hang out there for a bit."

"So, back the way we came?"

Callum nods. 

"Race ya!" shouts Ben, as he speeds away.


	7. Chapter 7

Ben and Callum sit crosslegged on the sand, leaning into each other, eating cake as the sun slips slowly below the horizon. 

Still visible in the rosy sunset glow are two sandcastles, once impressive but now in ruins after Ben took out one of Callum's turrets, and Callum retaliated with an attack on Ben's moat.

They take turns swigging from a bottle of wine, their second of the evening, after they polished one off with dinner. Callum swallows, passes it to Ben.

"It's been good, hasn't it? Getting away from things for a bit."

"It's been great, babe."

"And I know what you said earlier, about having me to yourself -"

"Too right."

" - and I know the whole point was it was just about us -"

"Wouldn't be here otherwise."

" - but I do feel a bit bad. About not bringing Lexi."

"Lo's taking her shopping instead. She'll be fine, trust me."

"She'd have loved the horses."

"She'd have hated the museum."

"It's just... I ain't never been on a family holiday. Be nice to make some memories with her too one day."

God, Ben's an idiot. He shoves the wine bottle in the sand and leaps on a surprised Callum, knees sandwiching his thighs and hands pinning his wrists either side of his head. He can just make out Callum's eyes shining in the gloom.

"Listen to me, Mr Soon-To-Be-Mitchell, if you want a family holiday, then you'll get one. Loads. Every weekend if you like. But that's not what's important. That don't make a family."

He lets Callum go, sits on his heels, needing to his hands back to help him make the point.

"What you've got with Lexi every day, that's what's important. I had holidays as a kid, and yeah, they were fun, but we just came back to the same old toxic shit. Does Lexi wanna go to Disneyland? Course she does. But she doesn't need it. Because you make her happy every day of the year, just by being there. _Those_ are the memories that really count. _That_ 's what makes you family. Don't you ever forget that."

And then they're kissing, clinging to each other, furiously passionate as the water swallows the sun and plunges them into darkness.

It takes all of Ben's willpower to push Callum away.

"Come on. Home."

"I've never had sex on the beach."

"Trust me, you don't want to."

"It's romantic."

"If you call raw knees, no lube and sand in every crevice romantic."

"Fair point. Not sure I can cycle right now though."

He adjusts his crotch as he scrambles to his feet.

"Romantic moonlight walk it is then," chuckles Ben, sprawled in the sand, looking up at the awkward dork he loves. 

Callum holds out his hand to pull Ben to his feet. He's silhouetted against a dazzling canopy of stars, Ben's head is fuzzy from the wine and his heart is thumping. For a moment he wonders if he's died and this is heaven. 

But then he's standing, limbs chilled by the ocean and fingers warmed by Callum's grip. 

He's never felt more alive.


	8. Chapter 8

The next morning, they're both a bit subdued as they squeeze their scattered clothes back into their cases and tidy up the apartment. Callum insists they carefully comply with every instruction in the welcome pack about what to do with the recycling, the sheets, the keys.

The combination of too much wine, too little sleep and the end of the holiday has provoked a quiet thoughtfulness in both of them. Ben's almost startled when Callum suddenly pipes up, counting on his fingers.

"Bike, cab, ferry, train, plane, train, cab."

"Ugh! Stop! I don't even want to think about it. Hours trapped in tin cans."

"One more day here woulda been nice."

"Yeah, but now we know about it, we can always come back. Stay a bit longer next time."

"Tenth wedding anniversary."

"Yeah."

They share soppy grins, then resume packing, the sombre atmosphere lifted a little.

After dropping off the bikes, they call a cab, going via the apartment to pick up the bags.

As they leave the village, they hold hands across the back seat, but their faces are turned away, both looking out at the flat expanse of grass, wide open sky, families out cycling - all the things that make this place so different from the world they're travelling back to.

Suddenly Callum leans forward and shouts, "Stop! Please, stop!" 

The startled driver pulls over, turns round in his seat, concerned.

"Are you OK?" he asks, but Callum's already half out of the door, dragging Ben by the hand.

"Sorry," he says, practically bouncing up and down, "Can you just wait here please? We'll be just five minutes, promise."

The bemused cabbie shrugs and turns off the engine. Callum pulls Ben back along the road.

"What's going on?" he manages to ask, but then Callum stops, waves his hands in the air.

"Ta da!"

Ben follows the direction of his flapping, then sees it and grins. They pose for a selfie, then run back to the cab and continue to the ferry terminal. 

With at least half an hour until the ferry arrives, they sit on the grass, watching the sailing boats rock gently in the tiny harbour, sunlight dancing off the water. Ben decides it's as good a time as any to voice what's been going round in his head.

"You know what I said yesterday, about Lexi? The same goes for me as well, y'know. It's easy to be happy on holiday. But back home, dealing with work and family and bills and all that real life crap, that's when it really matters. I didn't need to come all this way to know how much I love you. You make everything better, every day."

"Yeah, same." Callum smiles, but Ben can tell there's something else.

"Come on, out with it Highway."

"What?"

"Whatever's going on in that devastatingly handsome head of yours."

"OK, so, I've just been thinking, about what you said. About here, and London, and Lexi."

"It was just a wobble. Don't worry, I have no intention of flouncing off to a desert island to raise goats. Walford's just fine."

"But they ain't the only options, are they? It doesn't have to be the middle of nowhere or the middle of London."

"You saying you wanna leave Albert Square?"

"No. But I don't not want to either."

"Come again?"

"I'm just saying, I'll do whatever's best for you and Lexi. If that's living in Walford, then great. But we don't have to stay there just cos that's where we've come from, or ended up. If you think it's better for her to grow up somewhere else, then I'm up for that discussion."

"OK."

"OK."

They're silent for a while, each lost in their own thoughts. Ben's trying to imagine it - the image blurry, but coming slowly into focus the more he looks at it.

"We could definitely get a bigger place if we moved a bit further out."

"And that puppy Lexi's always going on about. It don't even have to be London. Could be anywhere - another city, another town, Wales, Scotland."

"The Midlands is good for the motor trade."

"Kosher, or nicking them?"

"Both."

Callum laughs.

"Just need you to know - I'll go wherever you go. You wanna get away from dirty alleyways and broken bottles, then we make it happen. The past don't matter. We choose our own future."

It's a bit more than Ben can deal with right now, so he changes the subject.

"Let's have a look at that photo then."

Callum takes out his phone, pulls up the latest selfie. There they are, grinning like dorks and pointing to the road sign.

"Ballum in Ballum. You texted it to Lexi?"

"You know she'll make it her new lock screen."

"I might make it mine too."

"Same. Matching lock screens - Stu'll never let me hear the end of it."

There's a whoosh from Callum's phone, followed by a ping from Ben's.

"Couple of months, we'll have matching rings too."

Callum looks puzzled. 

"You wanna change your ring tone?"

"On our fingers, you muppet!"

Callum grins.

"Can't wait."

Ben lies back on the grass, let's the sun warm him.

He thinks about what Ballum means to him now, the little Dutch village he'd never heard of until Lexi conspired with Callum to plan the trip.

Unexpected. A bit weird. But safe. And fundamentally pretty simple.

He takes a deep breath, the chill salt sea air filling his lungs.

Maybe Ben used to be a broken bottle, discarded and forgotten in a dirty London alleyway. But with Callum he's a wild horse tamed by love, a clapped out vintage car made beautiful again. Ballum means kissing and cake in the sand dunes until the sun goes down.

Ben reaches over and takes Callum's hand.

"This place is so us," he says.

He's never letting go.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So there you have it! Under instructions from Chief Shipper Lexi, Ballum took themselves off to celebrate their engagement in the tiny Dutch village of Ballum:  
> https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Tourism-g1087504-Ballum_Ameland_Friesland_Province-Vacations.html).
> 
> They arrive on the island of Ameland by ferry from the Dutch mainland. The harbour is Waddenhaven Ameland, near the village of Nes:  
> https://www.waddenhavens.nl/ameland
> 
> It's about a ten minute cab drive to their air B&B apartment. This is the sort of place they stayed in, but theirs was in central Ballum - and had a double bed. ;)  
> https://www.airbnb.co.uk/rooms/13034130?check_in=2021-07-15&check_out=2021-07-17&s=67&unique_share_id=c6c97e16-c180-46d6-9812-c2031675d747
> 
> The film they watch is called Penny's Shadow:  
> https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1864455/
> 
> The museum they visit is the Nobels Nostalgic Museum:  
> https://www.amelanderhistorie.nl/cultuur/nobels-nostalgisch-museum/
> 
> This is the Strandpaviljoen where they have lunch:  
> https://www.strandpaviljoenballum.nl/
> 
> This is the film set for Penny's Shadow:  
> https://www.vvvameland.com/see-and-do-on-ameland/pennys-shadow/tour-filmset-pennys-shadow
> 
> Incidentally, a friend of mine has visited Ballum several times. He says the beaches are OK, but that there's not a lot else to do. However, my internet searches tell a different story. If you ever visit, I'd love to hear about it. You never know, you might even bump into Ben and Callum. They've developed quite a soft spot for the place...


End file.
